Many of us women after the age of 50 find ourselves looking to redefine in some way. We may be ready to leave the job or career that we are in, but not ready to totally retire yet. Our children are grown and out of the house, for the most part, and don’t need us 24/7 as they did in the past.

Maybe we want to start a business or run a 5K. The sky is the limit. Or is it?

It is if you are a woman who possesses a growth mindset. In my signature program that is geared to women after 50 who are looking to redefine in some way, I “preach” quite often on the danger of a fixed versus a growth mindset for ALL women, but particularly those of us who are over the age of 50.  

What Is Fixed and Growth Mindset?

Carol Dweck of Stanford University coined the terms fixed versus growth mindset. A person with a fixed mindset believes that their skills or lack thereof are fixed and ingrained. A person with a growth mindset knows that they can always “learn the things” regardless of their natural strengths and weaknesses.

The Top 3 Fixed Mindset Thoughts for Women Over 50

“I’m Too Old to ________”

This statement can come in several versions and is the number one fixed mindset thought that I hear from the women in my program. It often starts out like, “I’m _____ (age). Do you think this program would be appropriate for me?” What they’re really asking is “Am I too old?”

There is only one thing that we are too old for and that is to decide that we are too old and to let the days just flow into each other without living our joy and our purpose.

Persons who are 100 years old and older make up the fastest growing segment of the population worldwide. How many years do you have left before you reach 100? I will bet that it’s too many years to not be living a life where you are excited to get out of bed to seize each and every day.

“I’m Too Busy and Don’t Have Enough Time”

There are many of us who are still juggling roles after the age of 50. We may still be working, along with helping to care for grandchildren or senior parents. Our days truly may be full of doing things and going through the motions.

If this is a thought for you or a situation that you are in, I would challenge you to track exactly how you spend your time each week. Write it all down. I’m very sure that you will find at least an hour a day, if not more, where you spend time doing something that could be better utilized to get working on your dream or your passion. For me, it’s my Words with Friends addiction or the time I spend surfing social media.

Imposter Syndrome

That “who do I think I am” voice in your head that tells you that you don’t have what it takes to start a business, run a 5K, retire, whatever the case may be.

I interviewed a woman named Lisa for a series on my blog on everyday women who redefined after 50.  Lisa, a divorced at-home mom, decided to move to Italy after 50. Her little voice said, “You don’t speak Italian, you don’t have a job there, you don’t; you don’t; you don’t!”

Luckily, Lisa pushed the little voice away, moved to Italy, and started a travel agency for women tour groups there. She said she “felt joy for the first time in a very long time.”

I’m glad that she didn’t listen to that voice. As is she and all of the women whom she has led tours for.

How Is This Dangerous?

When we listen to our fixed mindset thoughts, we stop taking action on our dreams. We stop learning. We stop challenging ourselves. We believe that we cannot so we truly cannot because we don’t even try. The “I’m too old to ____” becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We prove ourselves correct.

This can lead to a feeling of being stuck or stagnant. A feeling of purposelessness. A lack of joy in our lives. Which can, in turn, lead to depression.

In addition, if we stop challenging ourselves and stop learning, this can affect our cognitive abilities as we grow older. And that is a scary thought for every single one of us.

When you find that you are entertaining fixed mindset thoughts, remind yourself that these are simply thoughts. It is our brains wanting to keep us safe and keep the status quo.

Thank your brain for keeping you safe, and take action steps to living your dream and finding your passion in spite of the thoughts. They are only thoughts. It’s what we do as a result of those thoughts that shapes our life and our journey along the way.

What are some of your fixed mindset thoughts? Are they stopping you from doing things that excite you to think about? What action steps can you take right now to overcome them?

A 63-year-old woman going gray shouldn’t be news. But unfortunately, it’s still rare to see a Hollywood actor embrace their natural hair color at any age. That’s why Andie MacDowell’s gray hair was the talk of the 74th Cannes Film Festival last week. MacDowell was at Cannes in partnership with L’Oréal Paris, walking in big two red carpet events.

The first night, the actor surprised the crowd in a silvery-blue Prada dress that gorgeously matched the silver in her hair. She wore her natural curls down and full so everyone could get a good look at the streaks of gray and brown. L’Oréal Paris hairstylist Stephane Lancien was responsible for the bouncy curls and makeup artist Val Garland did the glam.

Back in February, the actor said on “The Drew Barrymore Show” that her family helped her make the choice to go to the natural side during stay-at-home orders. “I wasn’t coloring my hair … and then you could see my roots, and my daughters kept telling me that I looked badass. And the idea that I could look badass really appealed to me,” she said. “So I went for it and I’m enjoying it.” She calls the color “sexy silver” instead of gray.

AP Images.

On the second night, MacDowell wore a white Versace gown and pulled back her curls. The red lip adds to the perfection.

AP Images.

MacDowell wasn’t the only one who showed off their natural gray hair at Cannes. 58-year-old Jodie Foster walked the red carpet with her wife Alexandra Hedison. Foster had face-framing gray hair, while Hedison also sported some gray streaks. Foster was there to receive an honorary Palme d’Or award for lifetime achievement at Cannes.

AP Images.

We love seeing celebrities prove not only can gray be badass, but it can be glamorous enough for the red carpet, too.

Have you ever read a French cookbook which required you to use a pinch of Fleur de Sel (pronounced flure-de-SELL) or perhaps, the cookbook requested a “finishing salt”? Up until I discovered Fleur de Sel, or “flower of the sea” as it translates, I never thought much about salt.

Salt is salt, right? Wrong!

I discovered that Fleur de Sel is known by Chefs all over the world as one of the finest and rarest of all salts. It tastes like the sea, and it is snow white in color. I always cook with this magical salt any time I can.

What’s the Origin of Fleur de Sel?

We know that even today this salt comes mainly from France, off the coast of Brittany, and has a long history. Some believe the first to use sea salt were the Egyptians and the Gauls. First written records state it was found in 868 and was used regularly by the Romans to preserve their fish and as a medicine in the form of a salve.

Records also tell us that salt gathering was only carried out by women. Men were considered too rough to handle the fragile crystals. From the salt water flats of the Atlantic, the women would carefully skim only the top layer of the pyramid shaped crystals that floated to the top. They used a rake called a “lousse a de fleur” or “flower louse.” These women were called “paludiers” or salt workers.

Once the gathering was completed, the women carried the salt back to the village in deep bowls balanced on their heads. Around 15 hundred salt marches supplied most of Brittany’s salt until the 1800s, when salt caves were built.

Harvesting the salt was still carried out by women up through the 19th century. Even today, in the French village of Guerande, salt harvesting is still carried out by hand.

What Makes Fleur de Sel so Special and so Pricy?

Like many commodities grown today – coffee beans, grapes, olives etc. – the quality of the product depends on the natural environment it grows in. As soil is the terrain of crops, salt beds are the terrain of Fleur de Sel, and these beds are managed and harvested like any other crop.

In the case of Fleur de Sel, the best environment is the northern Atlantic coast of France (Brittany). Only the Brittany coast provides the very limited weather conditions needed to produce this particular salt, and because it is still harvested by hand, we have a product costing $30.00 or more per pound.

We now understand why fleur de sel differs from ordinary table salt. Everyday sea salt is simply evaporated seawater that is collected and then stored in mounds.

What Are the Characteristics of This Salty “White Gold”?

Purity

Fleur de Sel is the purest form of salt you can buy. It contains no gypsum (a soft white mineral formed by hydrated calcium sulfate). It’s just salt!

Health Benefits

Fleur de Sel contains trace minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron and silica oxide.

Taste

Simply put, Fleur de Sel tastes like the ocean! It’s flaky, delicate and moist. Due to the moisture content of the salt crystals, the crystals stick to your tongue offering the perception that this salt is more potent than other salts. It is not saltier but remember, a little goes a long way when used in cooking.

How Do You Cook with Fleur De Sel?  

Due to the exorbitant cost of Fleur de Sel, I recommend you use it for the most part as a “finishing salt.” That means use it almost like a garnish sprinkled over your prepared dishes right before serving.

By adding it right before you serve your foods, your diners will reap the benefit of receiving a burst of flavor, a slight crunch, and you will be able to see the salty crystals before they dissolve. Once dissolved no worries, the flavor will still be there.

Storage

Always store your salt in a cool dry place in a glass, wood or porcelain container with a tight fitting lid.

Salt Throwing?

It’s a common food superstition to throw spilled salt over your left shoulder to prevent bad luck. I recommend you do not throw your Fleur de Sel over your shoulder but use a less expensive salt for this custom. Save this remarkable salt for your taste buds only!

What do you know about Fleur de Sel? Where did you hear about it? Have you been to Brittany? Do you use Fleur de Sel when cooking special dishes? What do you like most about this salt?

Fans of Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb, the non-sticky lip gloss favorite, are going crazy over the brand’s newest formula. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat is the first lip plumper from Rihanna’s beauty brand and a truly unique one at that. Plumping lip gloss is nothing new and there are some great ones on the market. But Gloss Bomb Heat has much more than just plumping action. Allow me to explain.

I love the hydrating Gloss Bomb formula so I was excited to try this new iteration. It has the same conditioning shea butter and vitamin E blend to help lock in moisture but the addition of ginger root oil and capsicum fruit extract (pepper) to instantly plump lips. I planned to use Gloss Bomb Heat as a topper on my usual lipstick shades, adding high-shine for a Hot Vax Summer vibe.

But it turns out, I’m obsessed with the non-shimmer color of Gloss Bomb Heat Universal Lip Luminizer + Plumper on its own. The Hot Cherry shade looks very red in the tube but when applied, is the perfect sheer hue. It’s not too pigmented, but just enough to add color to the shine.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Fenty Beauty.

When I posted about Gloss Bomb Heat on my Instagram the most popular question I got was, does it hurt? I would admit that it does burn a bit but less than others I’ve tried. My favorite thing about this formula is that it’s not just the plumping ingredients that make your lips appear fuller. The shiny red color makes a big difference and the lush shea butter adds to the effect.

Source: Instagram

The color also lasts a few hours on the lips before you need to apply again, which is key for me when I’m out running around. Plus, when you apply another layer, you don’t get that dry, sticky texture that sometimes happens when one layer has dried. The formula is thick and hydrating enough to layer on as much as you’d like. If you’ve been wanting lip filler or just want to steal Rihanna’s perfect summer pout, this gloss is going to be your new favorite.

If you want to learn the secret to a seamless-looking makeup application, who better to learn from than Meredith Duxbury? The TikTok star has numerous ultra-viral videos showing the unique way she applies foundation to her whopping 10 million followers. If you don’t know her name, chances are her videos have shown up on your FYP. She applies, well, a ton of foundation with her hands, and then drips some more onto her face, and somehow ends up looking flawless at the end every time.

It makes perfect sense Charlotte Tilbury would tap the content creator for a makeup masterclass to show her “Four Steps to Flawless” foundation. “The secret to a flawless full-coverage face is to apply the foundation in layers, not at all once,” Duxbury tells STYLECASTER. “You want to focus on building up the coverage instead of putting it all on at once. Powder is also very important, you want to make sure the foundation is set well enough that it will last the whole day!”

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Source: Instagram

Although she sometimes gets negative comments from those who say she “uses too much foundation,” Duxbury just laughs them off with a new TikTok video. “Makeup is a form of art and I believe people can wear no foundation, minimal foundation, or full coverage foundation and all be equally beautiful!” she says. “The amazing thing about makeup is that everyone can do their makeup however they feel works best for them. For me, full coverage foundation is my favorite and I have fun creating artist’s looks with it!”

Her favorite Charlotte Tilbury foundation and the one she uses in her masterclass is the Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation ($44 at Sephora). It has a full-coverage matte finish without looking cakey. “It feels so lightweight but has incredible coverage,” she says. “It gives my skin the perfect base to work off of when doing a full glam look.” She sets the foundation with the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder ($45 at Sephora).

Charlotte Tilbury.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the NYC-based creator wears a full face beat all the time. There are days she likes to go fully natural and give her skin a break. “When I’m not wearing a full-coverage foundation I like to keep a bare face,” she says. I’m a full-coverage or no makeup kinda girl. I like to show my freckles and have my skin breathe when I’m not wearing full glam makeup.”

Since graduating with a Business Marketing Bachelor of Science, Duxbury is diving head-first into the beauty world full time. We have a feeling this is just the beginning of what she can do.